New BDN features editor brings a passion for food to the job

BANGOR, Maine — Sarah Walker Caron is the new Features Editor at the Bangor Daily News and brings her culinary passion and expertise to the staff. Caron took on the job in early July.

Caron oversees a desk of experienced reporters and bloggers who write on subjects ranging from the outdoors and food to local culture, family and events. So far, she has really enjoyed her new job and coworkers.

“I love arts, culture, music and food and I’m learning more about the outdoors. Every day it’s something different. There are good people here,” Caron said. “[The Features Desk has] a lot of really great people and a lot of really great systems in place … I’m not here to reinvent the wheel, I’m here to see where we can improve. Since I have a great passion for food, readers will see that in a more robust Food Section.”

Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, Caron comes to Maine from Connecticut. She’s an award-winning journalist who covered crime, courts and politics for newspapers, including the New Haven Register in New Haven, Connecticut.

She is the former social media editor for EducationWorld.com, and a former associate editor for Weekly Reader. Most recently, Caron’s work has focused on food, parenting and travel. She’s written for dozens of print and online publications including NBC’s iVillage.com, SheKnows.com, Connecticut Magazine and Yum for Kids.

When Caron saw the opportunity to work with the BDN Features Desk, she jumped at it.

“This position really encapsulates everything I have done professionally over the last 13 years, so it seemed like a perfect fit,” Caron said.

Caron is also a professional recipe developer who has created recipes for companies including Betty Crocker, Pillsbury and Diamond of California. Since arriving at the BDN, she’s created a column called Maine Course, which includes recipes, food-related information and more. Every Wednesday, Maine Course also features one of Caron’s recipes illustrated by BDN graphic designer Eric Zelz.

Her personal blog, Sarah’s Cucina Bella, was also named among the Top 25 Foodie Blogs on FriendsEAT.com.

Caron is enjoying life in Bangor with her two children and sees a lot of similarities between the Queen City and her hometown of Poughkeepsie.

“Bangor reminds me of the Poughkeepsie I grew up in in the ‘90s,” said Caron. “Poughkeepsie is a college town, and in the ‘90s it was up and coming with a lot of new restaurants and a thriving cultural scene. I see a lot of the same things here.”